Eagles 34, Bengals 27: Tanner McKee is a starting-caliber QB, No. 2 cornerback still a question, remember Darius Cooper & more takeaways – PHLY
Tanner McKee is a starting-caliber backup quarterback. The McKee hype has been warranted this summer, and it was cemented by McKee going 20 of 25 for 252 yards and two touchdowns (plus a Tush Push touchdown) while playing into the third quarter. He started the game against the Bengals’ starting defense (while playing with mostly the Eagles’ reserves), and you would not have known the discrepancy. He was decisive and efficient, and he put the ball up for his teammates to make a play. The 27-yard deep ball to Johnny Wilson was an example. His touchdown pass to Darius Cooper at the end of the half was placed in the perfect spot. “It felt good, felt like we were moving the ball, which is always fun,” McKee said. “There are things that like, ‘Oh man, I missed that’ or whatever. But overall, moved the ball well, had a lot of guys that made great plays. So the feeling is good.” The Eagles prioritize the No. 2 quarterback spot. Jeffrey Lurie once said he considers the second quarterback one of the most important parts of a successful organization. There was a sentiment that the Eagles might have been showcasing McKee; I don’t see it that way. They could have moved McKee in March or April — there was interest elsewhere then, and the Eagles traded Kenny Pickett to have McKee as the backup quarterback this year. He could indeed start on other teams in the NFL, but the Eagles would be more inclined to keep McKee and then perhaps trade him after the season. There’s too much value for a Super Bowl-caliber team to have a backup quarterback who can the offense like him.

2025 NFL preseason, Week 1: What We Learned from Thursday’s tripleheader – NFL.com
McKee solidifies standing as Hurts’ backup. Tanner McKee captained an Eagles offensive machine on Thursday night, leading Philadelphia to scores on five of his six drives, capping four with touchdowns. Since his rookie year of 2023, McKee has looked good enough in the preseason to earn a groundswell of backing from Eagles fans to be Jalen Hurts’ backup. Whether it was Marcus Mariota or Kenny Pickett who was the No. 2, McKee had his supporters. The job is his now and he showed out from the start of the preseason opener. Before handing QB duties to Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the third quarter, McKee completed 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two scores while adding a 1-yard tush push for six. His highlights were plenty, but the most impressive was a beautiful ball to Darius Cooper for a TD with just 35 seconds left in the first half, his second scoring pass in less than a minute. Doing much of his work against Bengals defensive starters was another feather in his helmet — and cause for concern for Cincy.

Spadaro: 12 takeaways from the Eagles’ 34-27 win to open the preseason – PE.com
Quarterback Tanner McKee had himself a fantastic game, playing into the third quarter. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns and also scored on a Tush Push on a fourth-and-goal play from the 1-yard line in the first quarter. McKee threw darts all night, worked the pocket beautifully, had great anticipation and accuracy, and probably only made one throw he would like to have back. He is the No. 2 quarterback now, one play away from game action, and the Eagles have the highest confidence in him for good reason. McKee played good football at the end of last season, stepping in against Dallas when Kenny Pickett was injured and then leading the Eagles to a win over the Giants’ starting team in Week 18. He will play more in this preseason and McKee will just get better and better.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Bengals preseason game – PhillyVoice
2) The ‘Ruh Roh’ Award: The Eagles’ CB2 spot. Kelee Ringo had a tough night against the Bengals’ starters, notably the following ugly play against Ja’Marr Chase. He gave up an easy reception on an out route, and then overran Chase, who then waltzed into the end zone.

A Good Start – Iggles Blitz
Patrick Johnson was the standout rusher. None of the other edge rushers stood out to me. That’s not ideal. The DTs did some good things. Rookie Ty Robinson had a sack and showed good athleticism. Gabe Hall got the pressure on the play where Johnson had his INT. I thought several guys played the run well. Cincy RBs finished 18-57. The Eagles should come out of this game pretty happy. They got good answers at several positions. They came out relatively healthy. The overall team looked good. The third string offense had some struggles, but they were really young. Those guys are going to have issues in their first game. There are still questions. Howie will have to decide if he wants to add a veteran safety or still thinks Drew Mukuba is the answer there. CB remains an issue. There is also the possibility of needing to add another veteran rusher.

Darius Cooper introduces himself to Eagles fans with tremendous performance – NBCSP
Darius Cooper can laugh about it now. But back in OTAs, when the undrafted rookie receiver from Tarleton State got his first first-team rep in the NFL, he had a moment with Jalen Hurts that still brings a smile to his face. “He was calling the play,” Cooper said, “and I was like right next to him. And he called the play and I’m looking at him. I’m like, ‘I’m next to Jalen Hurts right now. This is crazy!’ He called the play, we broke the huddle, and I didn’t know what I was doing at all.” Oops. Cooper lined up in the wrong formation, but eventually figured it out and ran the right route. But aside from that one moment, Cooper has always carried himself like he belongs in the NFL, even if some didn’t believe it.

2025 NFL preseason Week 1: Takeaways on new players – ESPN
Running back AJ Dillon had an encouraging debut, rushing five times for 27 yards (5.4 average) and catching three passes for 27 yards. He showed some wiggle with a jump cut on a 9-yard gain and moved the pile when he lowered his shoulder. It was a good start after sitting out all of last season because of a neck injury. Undrafted rookie receiver Darius Cooper (6 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD) raised his profile. He regularly separated from defenders with sharp routes and good burst. First-round pick linebacker Jihaad Campbell nearly came up with an interception, and fourth-round defensive tackle Ty Robinson registered two pressures, a sack and demonstrated good awareness by sniffing out a screen and taking that option away from the quarterback. –

NFL Preseason Week 1 Game Recap: Philadelphia Eagles 34, Cincinnati Bengals 27 – PFF
The Eagles kept their starters on the bench, but quarterback Tanner McKee looked right at home against much of the Bengals’ first-team defense. He played into the third quarter, going 20-of-25 for 252 yards and two scores. Tarleton State product Darius Cooper was on the end of several throws, hauling in six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Eagles Super Bowl Starter Avoided ACL Tear: Report – SI
NFL insider Josina Anderson further confirmed the news as well about Gardner-Johnson’s knee. “A Texans official tells me S CJ Gardner Johnson’s ‘didn’t tear’ his ACL and that the team is ‘still evaluating him…’ Just also adding here, generally speaking, with any injury there are microscopic tears compared to macro tears (Grade 1 – Grade 3)….so still waiting for full clarity on the scope of injury and a complete diagnosis on CJGJ,” Anderson said. Gardner-Johnson was forced out of practice on Thursday after suffering the leg injury. Initially, it seemed like the worst had occurred. Fortunately, that may not be the case. Texans reporter Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston also confirmed the news and said tests are underway but that the team hopes he’ll be able to return.

A.J. Brown: Treylon Burks is a good kid, sad it went down like that – PFT
During an appearance on Pardon My Take, Brown was asked his feelings about how lopsided the results of the trade have been. “I’m grateful that happened,” Brown said. “I like to say that I outgrew that situation at Tennessee. I’m glad this happened, because I felt like I was meant to shine. We needed a big team with a big market and I think this is the right place and the best fit for me. I am a little sad for Treylon Burks. I wish he could get healthy, because he is a good kid and I talk to him numerous times. I’ve got his number. It sucks to see it go down like that.”

Five Players to Watch during the Washington Commanders Preseason: Week 1 – Hogs Haven
Luke McCaffery: Terry McLaurin is still on the PUP list, and Noah Brown also didn’t make the trip to New England. Normally, I would say this is a key time for one of the back-end wide receivers to step up, and while that certainly is true, I am more interested to see how McCaffery plays tomorrow night. While reports have been positive, there are also some comments that he hasn’t stood out significantly from those same players. I don’t expect Deebo Samuel to play much, if at all, so McCaffrey should get some run versus both the starters and the second string, and I will be watching to see the development Kliff Kingsbury spoke about in his Monday presser.

Cowboys injury news: Rookie RB Jaydon Blue leaves practice with issue – Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys may have suffered another injury on Thursday. This time it’s rookie running back Jaydon Blue. Over the last couple of weeks Blue has been getting more opportunities to show the Cowboys what he is capable of. It is hard to make an impact as a rookie, but the position of running back is one where you can really shine. Blue’s home run ability is something everyone has been looking forward to seeing, particularly in the preseason.

Giants at Bills: 7 things to watch in Saturday’s preseason opener – Big Blue View
Jaxson Dart: How many plays will Dart receive and how much will Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka put on his plate? We’ve seen Dart make checks at the line of scrimmage through camp and he’s executed audibles based on the defensive look. Of course, the Giants’ offense and Bills’ defense will show just the bones of the playbook, but how Dart handles those rudimentary plays in the reps that he receives will be telling. Dart’s decision making, arm-talent, and overall production are all exciting aspects of Saturday’s game to monitor. Daboll did say on Thursday that rookies will “as many reps as we can give them.”

Madden NFL 26 review: The leap we’ve been waiting for – SB Nation
The biggest competition for Madden NFL is coming from within the house. EA Sports’ addition of EA Sports College Football has completely changed how we view the flagship NFL franchise, and truthfully last year was a little bit of a letdown. That wasn’t entirely the fault of Madden, which had to contend against a new, shiny football game — but after experiencing he passion, love, and care put into CFB 25 it left the NFL game a little lacking. That all changes in Madden NFL 26, which has harnessed some of the best elements of EA Sports College Football 26, while adding its own signature features to leave us with the best, most complete, and most fun Madden in years. If you’ve been waiting for significant improvements to shell out your hard-earned money, well, this one is it.

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